oof chicago



P. CASALENA.

MAcARom umm.

APPLICATON FILED NOV- 4. 191B. 1,310,176. Patented July 145, 1919.

'vln cuLumluA PLANUGRM'H ca., WASHINGTON, n. c.

@narra '1 srarns Armar' PRIMIANO CASALENA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOI-IN V.

` CANEPA, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MACARONI-DRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 15, 1919.

Application led November 4, 1918. Serial No. 260,933.

To all 'whom t may concer/n.:

Be it known that I, PRIMIANO CASALENA, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Macaroni-Drers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in macaroni driers and more particularly to the means for supporting the fan shaft to insure proper operation thereof.

`The invention is designed, primarily, for

use in connection with the macaroni drier Figure 1 shows the invention in section as applied to a drier constructed substantially in accordance with the patented drier above referred t0; and j l F ig. 2 is a detail enlarged sectional view of one bearing. V l

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the drying chamber provided with nan opening 2 in its top and arranged within the shell 3. Deflectors l are located below the top of the shell and above the opening and these defiectors terminate at the doors 5 which are adapted to be opened to permit escape of air currents induced by the fan 6 which is suspended in horizontal position in the opening 2. The lower edges of the deflectors meet in a line diametrically above the opening in the chamber.

It is customary to build these driers in a so-called loft or a room in the factory where macaroni, spaghetti and other paste products are produced and in the drawing 7 indicates the beams of the ceiling of such a room. The fan shaft 8 is supported in three bearings of substantially the same construction, one located at the ceiling of the room, one at the top of the shell and one adjacent the fan, and the driving pulley 9 is mounted on the shaft between the ceiling and the top of the shell.

The upper bearing comprises a lower member 10 bored to receive the shaft and havinglateral projections 11 to receive bolts 12 which secure said member to a cross piece 13 fastened to the underside of two adjacent ceiling beams 7. rIhis lower member is provided with an outer peripheral flange 14 and an inner peripheral flange 15 withanannular intervening space 16.

The upper member 17 has an elongated upwardly extending integral sleeve 1S and is adapted to be fastened to theshaft by a set screw 19. This upper member has a depending outer peripheral flange 2O which surrounds the lower member, an outer peripheral groove 21 to receive the outer peripheral flange 14; of the lower member and an inner peripheral recess 22 to receive the inner peripheral flange 15 of the lower member. The intermediate annular portion 23 of the upper member between the groove 21 and the recess 22 projects into the annular space 16 of the lower member and is spaced from the lower member by the bearing balls 241` which are seated in grooves provided thereforin `the upper and lower members. Grease is packed inthe space 16 to keep the balls constantly lubricated.

The intermediate bearing 25 is made like the upper bearing, just described, the lower member being turned so that the projections 11 thereon will extend lengthwise of the beam 26 upon which this bearing is mounted and to which it is suitably secured. rlhe lower bearing 27 is substantially like the upper and intermediate bearings and it is supported in place by braces 28 fastened to the projections on the lower member and to the top of the shell 3, these braces being preferably provided with turn-buckles 29 whereby they may be conveniently maintained taut.

The hub 30 of the fan is secured by a set screw 31 on the shaft and between this hub and the lower bearing I provide a collar 32 which is secured on the shaft by set screw 33. A ball bearing of any suitable character is located between the collar 32 and the lower member of the lower bearing.

I' may also provide a headed bolt 35 on the lower end of the shaft to assist in securing the fan in place and a collar :S6-'and' set screw 37 at the upper endl of the shaft.

My invention is simple in construction and it can be easily applied. In practical use I have found that it will securely hold the fan shaft in perpendicular position without binding at any of the bearings and will prevent the fan from wabbling at any required speed of revolution.`

I am aware that changes in the form and proportion of parts and in the details of construction of my invention may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof and I reserve the right to make all such changes as fairly` fall within the scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. In a macaroni drier, the combination of a drying chamber having an opening in the top thereof, a shell inclosing said chamber and having itsl top `spaced from' the'top of the chamber, a fan arranged horizontally in said opening', a'perpendicular shaft for said fan extending up through the top of the shell, two bearings for said shaft located within the shell, one adjacent the fan and the other adjacent the topl vof the shell, and a bearing for the upper end of the shaft.

2. In a macaroni drier, the combination of a drying chamberhaving an opening in the top thereof, 'a shell inclosing said chamber and having its top spaced from the top of the chamber, a fan arranged horizontally in said opening, a cross-beam located within the shell above the opening in the chamber, a perpendicular shaft for said fan eX- tending up through the beam and the top of the shell, a bearing for the shaft adja cent the fan, another bearing for the shaft located on the beam, `and another bearing for the upper end of the shaft;

3. In a macaroni drier, the combination of a drying chamber having an opening in the top thereof, a shell inclosing said chamber and having its top spaced from the top of -the chamber and provided with doors therein, deiiectors extending from the doors inwardly and downwardly to a meetingline dianietrically above sai'diopening, Ia fanarrang'e'd horizontally in said opening, a perpendicular shaft for said fan extending up between the deflectors and through the top of the shell, a bearing for the shaft adjacent the fan, another bearing for the shaft located between sa-iddefiectors, and another bearing for the shaft at the upper end thereof.

el. 'In a macaroni'vdrier, the combination of -a drying chamber having anopening in the top thereof, a shell inclosing said chamber and having itstop spacedifrom the top of the chamber, there being doors in the top of said shell,v deflectors located between the doors and extending therefrom downwardly to a meeting line diametrically disposed above said opening, a beam extending across the shell between'said deflectors, a fan arranged horizontallyin said opening, a perpendicularshaft for said fan extending up between the defiectors and through the beam andthe top `of the shell, a bearing for the shaft adjacent the fan, v`another bearing for the shaft located on the `beam beneaththe top of the sl1ell,a1id another bearing for the upper end of the shaft.

5. In a macaronidrier, the combination of -a fan shaft vand a bearing therefor comprising a lower member and an upper meniber, the upper-member having a peripheral flange to surround the lower member, a peripheral groove and a peripheral recess, and the lower member having peripheral flanges to engage the groove and recess of the upper member, and balls located between the two members in the annular space between the flanges of the lower member.

. PRIMIANO CASALENA.

Witnesses n WVM. F. BELT, M. A. KIDDIE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissibner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. Y 

